James Gard: Each week we look at one stock that is cheap or expensive and why. This week is the turn of FTSE 100 pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which has a 4-Star rating from Morningstar. The company is at a pivotal moment in its history. It's currently the target of activist investors, who are agitating for change to revive a flagging share price. Next year GSK is being split into two listed companies. It's pharmaceutical division, which makes vaccines and drugs for conditions like asthma will be known as New GSK. This will be separate from the consumer health division, which sells products like Sensodyne toothpaste and Panadol.
Morningstar analysts think this move could be a positive one as consumer health companies are often valued higher by investors than pharma companies. GSK has a fair value estimate of £17.30 but has a current price of around GBP15. Over five years GSK share price has fallen around 10% whereas rival AstraZeneca has seen its shares rise 70% over the period. Still, over the last decade GlaxoSmithKline has been a reliable dividend pay for investors.
For Morningstar I'm James Gard.